Chapter 157

As soon as these words came out.

Except for Zhang Yang of Bingzhou and Liu Bei of Huainan.

Everyone shivered fiercely.

Especially Tao Qian and Kong Rong.

They refused Gongsun Zan's request to borrow grain and fodder.

They had already formed a grudge with Gongsun Zan.

If Gongsun Zan really hooked up with Dong Zhuo.

One could figure it out with their toes that Gongsun Zan would definitely take revenge on them!

"Benchu, what is your plan?"

"Are you going to pursue Gongsun Zan immediately?"

Cao Cao asked.

Yuan Shao shook his head repeatedly and said:

"That guy Gongsun Zan burned the camp and went to the Yellow River ferry for a while."

"If you want to catch up with him, infantry is definitely not enough, only cavalry can do it!"

"This alliance leader means that you all gather all the cavalry under your command, and then each send a top general to pursue Gongsun Zan!"

"Only in this way can you catch up with him."

Hearing this.

Everyone fell into deep thought.

They were not like Dong Zhuo, who was a real cavalry household.

They did have cavalry under their command.

But in terms of combat effectiveness, it was uneven.

But now, the situation was critical.

They couldn't care about combat effectiveness or not!

The top priority was to stop Gongsun Zan as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, everyone would be in trouble!

The various warlords hurriedly gathered their cavalry troops.

However, an embarrassing scene appeared.

Because the equipment and specific combat effectiveness of the cavalry under their command were different.

Putting them together was like a hodgepodge.

The cavalry under Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Yuan Shu, and others were still okay, at least they looked like something.

But the cavalry under Kong Rong and Zhang Yang were not an exaggeration to describe as crooked melons and cracked dates.

Soon, this mixed cavalry troop lined up and, under the leadership of their respective commanders, rushed to the Yellow River ferry.

At this time, it was already approaching dawn.

The early morning sun slowly rose from the horizon.

The various warlords were tossed around like this and didn't sleep well all night.

However.

Even if they wanted to sleep right now, they couldn't.

If Gongsun Zan really defected to Dong Zhuo's side, everyone would suffer.

Looking at the slightly tired figures of the various warlords, Yuan Shao said:

"Gentlemen, the only way now is to capture Hulao Pass as quickly as possible!"

"Hulao Pass and Sishui Pass are horns to each other."

"If we can take Hulao Pass."

"The Sishui Pass guarded by Gu Linzhi will lose its effect."

"At that time, he will only have the option of retreating to Luoyang."

"But there is no danger to defend near Luoyang except for Sishui Pass and Hulao Pass."

"That is to say, as long as we can take Hulao Pass, the advantage of this battle will still be on our side!"

Regarding what Yuan Shao said, the various warlords expressed deep agreement.

And this was also the only option to break the situation in the current state!

Therefore.

Everyone gathered their strength, preparing to flatten Hulao Pass.

Although the various warlords had no progress in capturing Hulao Pass yesterday.

But this did not mean that they would give up so easily.

After all.

Compared to the famous Gu Yi, this "nobody" Zhang Liao looked much easier to deal with.

Near the Yellow River ferry

Gongsun Zan led the Youzhou Legion under his command to stay here.

They had no ships in their hands, and if they wanted to cross the Yellow River, they still needed to build ships first.

However...

Gongsun Zan didn't need to be so troublesome.

Because his real purpose was not to return to Youzhou at all, but to attract the cavalry troops under the various warlords here!

Sure enough.

Soon.

Accompanied by a chaotic and irregular sound of horse hooves.

The coalition's cavalry troops, under the leadership of their respective commanders, also arrived at the Yellow River ferry!

Except for Liu Bei who did not send anyone, the other six warlords sent their trusted generals as the commanders.

Yuan Shao sent Yan Liang, Yuan Shu sent Ji Ling;

Cao Cao sent Cao Hong, Tao Qian sent Jiang Shi;

As for Zhang Yang and Kong Rong, they sent third-rate cannon fodder generals.

It was not that they wanted to hide their clumsiness, but that there were really no powerful talents under their command.

Last time when the coalition warlords campaigned against Dong Zhuo, Kong Rong had a general named Wu Anguo who was good at using hammers!

But in a battle against Guan Hai not long ago, Wu Anguo died from a stray arrow.

Since then, Kong Rong's camp was full of cannon fodder characters.

And Zhang Yang was even worse than Kong Rong!

As a Bingzhou person, he was not welcomed in Bingzhou.

After all.

Those Bingzhou generals who had ability.

Such as Lu Bu, Zhang Liao, Cao Xing, Gao Shun, and others, had already joined Dong Zhuo's camp.

What was left for Zhang Yang were all miscellaneous fish.

Looking at the six generals chasing after him, as well as the cavalry troops under their command.

A cruel smile appeared in Gongsun Zan's eyes!

The next moment.

He saw countless arrows shooting towards the coalition's cavalry troops from the reed marshes on the bank of the Yellow River ferry!

The leader was none other than Gao Shun!

After Gu Yi's military reform, the Trapping Army not only had Trapping Armored Soldiers, but also many elite archers using God-Arm Bows!

At this moment.

Facing the ambush of the Trapping Army.

The cavalry of the warlord coalition appeared panicked and at a loss.

Yan Liang, Cao Hong, and others hurriedly stood out to stabilize morale and pointed out that the enemy was just infantry and not to be feared.

However,

before their voices had even faded,

more than a thousand warriors of the Camp-Breaking Battalion holding Mo Dao (long sabers) rushed straight toward them from the reed marsh!

Mo Dao, also known as horse-chopping sabers.

If it were a uniform and elite cavalry unit, the effect of the Mo Dao would be greatly reduced.

But at this moment, the cavalry of the warlord coalition was just a hodgepodge of weaklings pieced together.

Facing the surprise attack of the Camp-Breaking Battalion warriors, these cavalry inevitably trampled on each other.

The most pit-like ones were the cavalry under Kong Rong and Zhang Yang.

Their fighting power was already dragging their feet.

Scared by the Camp-Breaking Battalion, this part of the cavalry wanted to flee the battlefield in a panic.

Indirectly causing the cavalry under Yuan Shao and Cao Cao to have their formations broken.

Yan Liang and Cao Hong were so angry they even wanted to draw their weapons and hack at the cavalry under Kong Rong and Zhang Yang!

They had seen pig-like teammates, but never such pit-like ones!

They could have counterattacked, but because of this group of pig-like teammates, the casualties instantly increased significantly.

However,

the number of the Camp-Breaking Battalion was ultimately too small.

After a period of panic,

Yan Liang, Cao Hong, Ji Ling, and others gradually stabilized the army's morale and began to organize a counterattack.

However,

how could things let them have their way?

The Youzhou Legion under Gongsun Zan was already ready to go!

Following Gongsun Zan's order,

the fierce Youzhou soldiers took the lead in launching a fierce attack on the troops under Yan Liang!

What? Why not attack others first?

Please, Gongsun Zan was thinking about killing Yuan Shao every moment!

At this moment, he naturally had to prioritize attacking the soldiers under Yuan Shao!

Seeing this, Yan Liang was so anxious his eyes turned red.

Don't look at Yuan Shao's family as having a big business.

But every cavalryman was the apple of Yuan Shao's eye, a precious treasure!

Raising a cavalryman cost roughly ten times that of an infantryman!

Besides this, cavalry wasn't something you could raise just by having money.

To form a cavalry unit with sufficient fighting power was by no means a matter of a day or two.

At this moment, seeing with his own eyes the cavalry of the Yuan army being slaughtered,

Yan Liang's heart was dripping blood!

However,

Yan Liang's anger could not change any of the battle situation.

With the passage of time,

the losses of the coalition cavalry were getting larger and larger.

Cao Hong, Ji Ling, Jiang Shi, and others had all produced the intention to retreat in unison.

As for the cavalry generals under Kong Rong and Zhang Yang, they had long since died at the hands of Gao Shun and the Camp-Breaking Battalion.

And the cavalry units of their two families, which were not many to begin with, had been slaughtered clean.

"Thump!"

Finally, Ji Ling was the first to be unable to endure it.

He blew the horn of retreat.

The cavalry under Yuan Shu hurriedly followed him to retreat from the battlefield at the fastest speed.

Immediately after,

like a chain reaction,

Cao Hong and Jiang Shi also followed and began to retreat.

In an instant,

only Yan Liang and the cavalry under Yuan Shao were still struggling to persist.

It wasn't that Yan Liang didn't want to run, but he couldn't run at all!

This damn thing...

Gongsun Zan was like he had been injected with chicken blood, staring tightly at Yan Liang and his cavalry with the Youzhou Legion.

Besides this,

Gao Shun and the part of the Camp-Breaking Battalion warriors holding divine arm bows and Mo Dao were also constantly looking for opportunities to make a finishing blow.

Yan Liang and the cavalry under Yuan Shao were surrounded so tightly not even water could leak through.

Under such circumstances, there was no retreat at all.

Sweeping his gaze around,

a fact Yan Liang had to admit was that

the cavalry under Yuan Shao would likely be completely accounted for here today!

"General, run quickly, as long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about firewood!"

Beside Yan Liang, several personal guards gathered around him, urging Yan Liang to break out.

Yan Liang took a deep breath.

At this moment,

the figure of Wen Chou appeared in his eyes.

During that Battle of Hulao Pass three years ago,

in order to cover Yan Liang and Yuan Shao's retreat, Wen Chou exhausted all his physical strength and blocked Lu Bu for fifty rounds.

But in the end, Wen Chou still died under Lu Bu's Fangtian Halberd. (See Chapter 31 for details)

At that time, Yan Liang secretly made up his mind to live hard to avenge Wen Chou.

But to this day,

not only did he fail to avenge Wen Chou, but he also caused the Yuan army cavalry to be almost wiped out.

At this moment, Yan Liang wanted to rush up and fight Gongsun Zan and Gao Shun to the death!

But his remaining reason told him

that even if he rushed up now,

it would be of no avail.

Looking at the world,

with Yan Liang's martial arts,

except for encountering top-level fierce generals like Lu Bu, Huang Zhong, Guan Yu, and Zhao Yun,

basically no one else could pose a threat to him.

But... even the most powerful fierce general,

once surrounded tightly by others,

no matter how high the kung fu, he would eventually be cold.

Therefore, if he forcibly rushed up to fight Gongsun Zan to the death, Yan Liang would definitely die.

Seeing that Yan Liang had not yet made a decision,

the several personal guards beside him said urgently:

"General, run quickly!"

"If you don't leave, how will you face the late General Wen Chou?"

"Plop!"